


To Prepare for Doom to Come

by CherryMilkshake



Series: I did not realize that you were a woman. - That is because I am not. [5]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fear of Death, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 11:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6904120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryMilkshake/pseuds/CherryMilkshake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he enters Crossroads for one last push at Cadash's side, Leliana comes to Iron Bull with news.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Prepare for Doom to Come

**Author's Note:**

> Trespasser spoilers!

Iron Bull is not surprised when he sees Red’s replacement at the tavern door, waving at him to come outside. The strategy meeting was over and it was time for the next step of the adventure to continue.

Charter takes him to an empty building, where Red is sitting, her fancy Divine get-up out of place in the dust and grime. “Iron Bull,” she says, all business. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“And you need privacy for it,” Bull observes. “I’m sorry, Lady Red, my bed belongs to another.”

She doesn’t even smile. Deadly serious business then. Someone dead perhaps? His stomach churns. He’s not stupid; something’s up with the Boss. They’d been avoiding him, eyes carrying bags, expressions grim when they thought no one was looking. Bull knows it’s something wrong with their mark, but surely they’re still…

“It’s the Inquisitor,” Red says. “I don’t think he has long left to live.”

The pronoun makes him twitch, in the same way he twitches when people refer to Krem as ‘she’, but the Inquisitor had told only him about their gender. “I know,” Bull says. Still alive then. Good. 

“You know?” she repeats in confusion.

“It’s written all over his face, ma'am.”

Red nods. “At the meeting, he collapsed. He was in so much pain…” She closes her eyes, resting her head in her hand. “I do not know if he will return from this mission, Bull.”

His stomach tightens. He’d known Andrin was dying from the mark, but was it really progressing so quickly? Because of the weird magic they kept finding in the eluvians? He thinks of Andrin twitching out of his reach, shielding their left hand from his sight—stuffing it into pockets, behind their scarf, or just in a fist. “Thank you for telling me, ma'am,” Bull says.

“I thought you’d want to know,” Red says. “You’re very important to him.”

Bull nods. Despite the warm weather, he feels cold.

She lets him go and he steps out into the evening, rubbing his arms to warm them. Andrin comes out of the tavern, looking around. They see Bull and relax, coming toward him. They have their marked hand in their pocket and their green eyes seem haunted.

But still, they smile at him, red hair shining in the light spilling out from the tavern windows, lips pink with life as they pull back from slightly-gapped teeth. “There you are,” Andrin says. “Ready to go kick some more Qunari ass?”

Bull wants to say many things. He wants to promise Andrin he’ll find some way to save their life. He wants to swear to avenge their death. He wants to swear his sword to them, like a knight in a silly story. He wants to take them to bed and damn the world that keeps trying to kill them.

But he doesn’t say any of those things. Instead he smiles and says, “With you, kadan? Always.”


End file.
